Olympic Gold medalist Bryan Clay featured in Hawai'i media campaign promoting college and career readiness

HONOLULU, HAWAIʻI — www.p20hawaii.org — Hawaiʻi P-20 Partnerships for Education, a partnership between the Good Beginnings Alliance, Department of Education and University of Hawaiʻi System announced today that Hawaiʻi‘s own Bryan Clay will be featured in the 2009 media campaign promoting college and career readiness. Clay, a graduate of Castle High School and Azusa Pacific University, received a gold medal for the decathlon in the 2008 Olympics.

"Bryan Clay‘s remarkable accomplishments, his talent and drive make him the perfect role model for Hawaiʻi‘s teens," says Tammi Oyadomari-Chun, Hawaiʻi P-20‘s executive director. "Bryan has said that going to college influenced his life greatly, and he credits this experience as being a turning point which led him to his present achievement as ʻthe world‘s greatest athlete.‘" Oyadomari-Chun added that Clay is contributing his time for this effort because of his strong belief in supporting post-secondary education for Hawaiʻi‘s youth.

The multi-media campaign featuring Clay is scheduled to start on January 1, 2009. The campaign is sponsored by GEAR UP Hawaiʻi and its partners, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, The Learning Coalition, and the University of Hawaiʻi Federal Credit Union.

ABOUT GEAR UP HAWAIʻI GEAR UP Hawaiʻi, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, is a federally funded program with the mission to significantly increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in college. The program provides information, resources and financial assistance for low-income students and those who are in traditionally underrepresented populations. For more information, visit our website at www.gearup.hawaii.edu.

ABOUT HAWAIʻI P-20 PARTNERSHIPS FOR EDUCATION Hawaiʻi P-20 Partnerships for education is a statewide partnership led by the Good Beginnings Alliance, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education and the University of Hawaiʻi System that is working to strengthen the education pipeline from early childhood through higher education so that all students achieve college and career success. Hawaiʻi P-20‘s partners share a sense of urgency about the need to improve Hawaiʻi‘s educational outcomes in an increasingly global economy, and have established a goal of 55% of Hawaiʻi‘s working age adults having a 2- or 4-year college degree by 2025. For more information, visit our website at www.p20hawaii.org.